Chapter 51 - Chapter 48: Confession+Extra Part 2

Beta read by Shigiya, Paragon of Awesomeness and FabledLife

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-Sainan-

After all of the chaos going on lately, a moment of rest was always welcomed. Not physically, but rather on the mental side, where spending hours just staring at the clouds and feeling the wind blow against his face would be greatly appreciated.

'Perhaps I should ask Momo if I could use that VR of hers again.'

Even to this day, he recalled the breathtaking moment when he first opened his eyes. Beautiful mountains, evergreen trees, and a calming atmosphere. Visiting that place again, even if it had been fake, would be nice for a moment.

'Though this is not that bad either.'

The rooftop, even if it's just for now, offered a brief reprieve from the chaos of his new daily life. Emiya sat on a bench, calmly opening his bento box. A certain younger brother of his paced back and forth in front of him, his hands wringing together.

"What did you just say?" Rito finally stopped, his voice a pitch higher than usual.

"Haruna's parents invited us over for dinner," he stated, picking up a piece of tamagoyaki with his chopsticks. "I figured we should go to visit them. I don't think you've ever been there, so this is a good opportunity for them to get to know you. Also, it might distract Akiho from messing with me."

"We're going to Haruna's house? Also... it just sounds like you're just taking me as a distraction!" Rito's face went through several shades of red. Frustration or embarrassment, Emiya wasn't sure, but with how his little brother was in a panic mumble and ready to pull his hair out, it was probably the latter. "I'm not ready! I still have so much to prepare before going there. Should I wear a suit? Or something more impressive? What about a gift? What kind of gift is appropriate? Is a cake too cliché? What about flowers? Oh, but what if her mother is allergic?"

While Rito continued to ramble, Emiya just looked at him quietly, his expression dry. Bringing a piece of tamagoyaki to his own lips, paused and then extended his arm, offering it to the young former assassin next to him, who sat silently on his other side. The girl took the food without a word, munching on it while also observing Rito with a look that was practically mirroring the older Yuuki sibling.

The boy finally noticed he was being completely ignored. "How can you be so nonchalant about such an important matter!" he exclaimed, gesturing wildly.

Emiya just shrugged, finally taking a piece of octopus-cut wiener for himself. "It's Haruna's house. It's not like we are going to meet the prime minister or something."

"It's not that simple!" He insisted, starting to pace around again. "With everything that's happened, I want to make a good impression on her for once! I don't want to mess it up. After everything, she most likely thinks that I'm a complete clutz or an unreliable man."

Emiya raised an eyebrow. "At this point, you're starting to overthink things. I pretty sure that Haruna isn't like that. The girl seems to have a nice opinion of you from what I seen. Honestly, aside from us, she probably knows you better than anyone in the school."

"It's easy for you to say that, given that you can talk to her so easily," Rito mumbled, slumping onto the bench beside his brother, exhausted from all of the panicking.

"The more you get yourself worked up by this, the more likely you'll actually end up messing up with Haruna," Emiya said, passing another piece of rolled-up omelette to Yami. At this point, he figured bringing three bento boxes would be required, one for Risa, Yami, and himself. He didn't mind; both girls clearly liked the food he made rather than the school lunches. "So take a breath and calm down."

"Oh man, I hope that doesn't happen. Especially in front of Haruna's parents. The last thing I want is for them to hate me for stripping their daughter or try to tell Haruna to distance herself from me because I'm no good."

"What did I tell you about overthinking? Besides, I'll be right there with you, and I won't let that happen. If you see you are about to do something stupid, I'll be there to stop you." He said flatly.

His words seemed to break through. The hesitation was still there, but he quickly composed himself and let out a long breath. "Fine. I'll trust you on that. By the way, what is going on with you two?" Asked the boy, pointing his finger at the girl next to him, the latter fully immersed in chewing her food rather than anything else.

Hearing the question, both Emiya and Yami just looked at him with confusion. Rito couldn't help but comment, "It's almost like you're clones of each other with the way you look at me."

"Yami is always accompanying me."

"Not like this. She's been practically glued to your side. I'm pretty sure she was waiting outside the bathroom when you went. I had several classmates demanding what was going with you two, as they were too scared to ask you instead."

This made Emiya glance toward the golden-haired assassin, waiting for her answer. The latter swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking, her tone calm, though there was a trace of unease behind it.

"I just feel that, due to my recent actions, my own reliability has taken a hit. I do not trust myself completely not to lose control at some point. I do not know whether Solgam placed another cellular failsafe inside me, or whether the first one could be triggered again. Remaining near him is the safest option. If something happens, he can stop me before things escalate too far. My original solution was to create some distance between myself and the family, but Emiya would not allow it."

The redhead let out a quiet sigh. "Because she was overthinking the entire thing," he said. "One of the ideas she came up with was having a custom-made straitjacket created so she could physically restrain herself whenever she felt uneasy. After that, I figured that I needed to knock some sense into her before she started taking the idea seriously."

That earned a small frown from Yami, though she didn't argue the point. "I'm curious. Why is there even a failsafe in the first place? And how does it qualify as a failsafe?"

The question caused her expression to darken slightly. The easy atmosphere around the table faded as she set her attention on him. "Solgam presents itself as an organization opposed to Emperor Gid Lución Deviluke, but that is only part of the truth. In reality, they benefit from conflict. A prolonged war creates demand for weapons, technology, and specialized operatives. Even if that means creating a monster they may eventually have to fight themselves, it is still profitable."

The same answer Emiya remembered Ryouko giving him during their conversation. Though he did not expect Yami to be aware of the answer herself, then again, just because she was direct didn't mean she was stupid.

"If that monster causes enough destruction, more people seek protection. More people purchase their services. More governments are becoming dependent on them. As long as the cycle continues, they profit from both sides. If they considered my creation successful, there would be little stopping them from attempting to recreate others like me."

Her gaze lowered for a brief moment.

"That is also why they attempted to capture Mikado-sensei. Someone with her knowledge would be far too valuable for an organization like that to ignore."

The table grew quieter after that. Even Rito, who had asked the question out of simple curiosity, found himself frowning at the explanation. The more he learned about Solgam, the less it sounded like an organization trying to stop a war and the more it sounded like one making sure the war never truly ended.

Truthfully, Emiya felt like she was worrying too much. While he understood her fears of losing control, like what Ryouko mentioned, this failsafe was not absolute. Something that would not change her forever out of the blue and basically be described as a moment of breathing self-hypnosis. The worst-case scenario would be if Yami were to fully give in to said desires and nature. But the girl was nowhere near that state, and he trusted her.

"It's kind of hard to believe that such evil people came to earth and most of us weren't even aware of them," Rito mumbled, worry evident in his tone. "I was previously worried about Gid coming to Earth, but now, he doesn't seem as bad or as big a problem compared to Solgam. But wait, weren't they all destroyed as you told me last time? "

"Most likely not, those people tend to be like cockroaches. Unfortunately, they would probably just view this as a setback.The universe is a big place, and finding them in such a vast space would be nearly impossible, I reckon." He said that while looking at the blonde assassin next to him, who just shrugged. "Doesn't matter in the end. If they come back, I'll deal with them once and for all."

One could hear the conviction in her tone, along with a trace of anger. Quickly, Emiya shook his head and looked at his brother, intending to change the subject. "We are getting off track. Just follow my earlier advice and stay calm. Wear something nice, like a nice shirt and pants. But don't go overboard. I get the feeling that you would go too far if you didn't say it now. Just casual wear is fine. We head over to Haruna's house, and you just respond to the parents with a simple yes or no answer if you feel too stressed over everything."

"Easier for you to say that, you're just you, and I am well, I am me." The urge to sigh grew, but he could see where the boy was coming from, and he wished that his little brother would just stop overthinking things. "Just think of this opportunity as once in a lifetime; occasionally, you are literally given a good moment to just confess your feelings to Haruna."

"C-confess!?"

"Yes, confess. Honestly, it's been a long time coming. I know that it sounds incredibly cheesy say this, but just stop thinking and speak from the heart on your feelings for Haruna."

"Are you crazy for even suggesting something like that?" The boy exclaimed, his face turning a deep shade of crimson, and looked ready to explode.

"It's a natural progression. Throughout all this time, you have barely made any progress with her despite knowing her for so long. At this rate, things will remain constantly the same, and Haruna will eventually start to see you as nothing more than just a good friend. And I doubt that is what you want." He fully meant every word and hoped that it would finally light a fire under his brother.

"I-I get that, but still," Rito stammered, "it's very early to say something like that. I can't do it."

"You can do it. You only need some confidence. And it's not too early, either. In these kinds of situations, it's better to just put your feelings out there at once rather than dance around it and get nowhere for who knows how long."

Rito went silent, staring at his shoes. Emiya sighed before he continued, "I understand that you're afraid that it will fail-."

"It's more than that. I'm afraid that I mess things up, but that things might get awkward between us, and then she would never talk to me again."

"That is a possibility, and I won't deny that," Emiya admitted, not that his brother falling on girls and touching them in places he shouldn't by accident didn't make things awkward already.

"Despite you saying that, you still want me to confess?" Rito asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

A hum escaped his lips while rubbing his chin. "Perhaps 'confession' was a strong word. More like hinting about your feelings and just probing the girl."

"It's not so easy," Rito mumbled.

"I know. But I also know that you're braver than you giver yourself credit for.. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. If things don't work out, or if she says no, at least you get to move on instead of getting stuck on one person."

Rito sighed. "I don't get how you can be so calm about something like this. I wish I could do that." He was quiet for a moment, then added, "I can't make any promises, but I'll keep what you said in mind."

"That's all I ask."

After that conversation, Rito then made an excuse about needing to get back to class, leaving him alone with Yami. The blonde assassin, while looking at the sky, said immediately, "The confession will fail."

This made him curious, not taking that sentence to heart. "What makes you say that? I genuinely think that there is something between Rito and Haruna. Both their personalities complement each other very well if they just get past their shyness."

Yami just shook her head. "No, that isn't the case. His confession will end in failure due to his physical inability to look where he walks. He will end up tripping on her."

He laughed, patting her head almost instinctively now. "You're not wrong. Despite that, it is still something Rito must do sooner or later. No matter the outcome, he will benefit from the outcome and will use it to forge his future."

Yami nodded before she got up and reached down under the bench, retrieving a large tray of milk bottles. Emiya looked at the tray, confused. "Are you really thinking about handing them to every person that you think you caused trouble for?"

"Yes," she said with a stoic face, not realizing how odd her choice of gift seemed. Where did she even get this? He did not remember buying so many milk bottles... must have been Mikan's doing. "It's the least I could do. There is another tray, and it's reserved for Lala and the rest. Would you mind helping me?"

Emiya shrugged. "Sure, why not? We still have time to kill."

Haruna's curiosity was piqued the moment they returned to the classroom. After taking his seat, he rested his chin on one hand and stared lazily toward the window. Every now and then, he could feel a pair of eyes looking at him. The girl beside him was trying her best to be discreet, but she wasn't particularly good at hiding her interest. Whenever their eyes almost met, she would quickly look somewhere else, only to stare again a minute later.

As for why she kept doing that... who knew. Best to let her be. If she wanted to ask him something then better to let her do it at her own pace.

With that in mind, he leaned forward and rested his head on arms. The classroom buzzed with the usual noise of students talking amongst themselves, chairs scraping across the floor, and bags being dropped beside their assigned desks. He felt the fatigue of the day finally get to him, feeling his eyelids getting heavier. For a brief moment, it seemed like he might actually manage to get some sleep.

Then a loud crash shattered the trance.

The sound jolted him awake immediately, hands twitching to summon his blades, but stopped at the last second.

His head lifted from the desk just in time to see several students turning toward the front of the classroom. A chair had tipped over near the teacher's desk, while a stack of papers lay scattered across the floor. '...Tearju?'

The newly appointed teacher looked as though she wished the ground would open beneath her and spare her from the embarrassment. Her long blonde hair swayed as she hurriedly bent down to collect the fallen documents, nearly knocking over another pile in the process.

Majority of the male population of the classroom had completely forgotten how to blink. Their eyes were glued to the generous view of cleavage spilling from her blouse as she bent over, while others found themselves transfixed by the way her plump rear shifted back and forth with each movement... straining against the fabric of her skirt in a way that had several boys having perverted expressions on their faces and shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

Naturally, the female half of the classroom wore expressions ranging from mild disgust to outright contempt, looks that went completely unnoticed by the boys, who were far too preoccupied with the show at the front of the room to care about anything else happening around them.

After finally gathering the scattered papers, she hurried behind the teacher's desk and attempted to compose herself. Her shoulders straightened, only for them to tense again almost immediately when she noticed the entire class looking at her.

Especially from the males.

"A-ahem." The awkward cough failed to restore her confidence. "G-good morning, everyone. I am Tearju Lunatique, y-your n-new s-substitute t-teacher."

Trying to look professional, she reached for the physics textbook resting on the desk. Unfortunately, her hand clipped the edge of another stack of papers. The pile tilted dangerously before she managed to catch it at the last second, drawing a few suppressed chuckles from around the room.

A faint blush spread across her face.

"P-please open your books to ch-chapter five." The request was accompanied by another nervous smile.

The class found her endearing and funny, especially with how clumsy she was. A few boys started to whisper amongst themselves.

"She really is beautiful," one whispered not so quietly.

"But doesn't she look familiar? A bit too similar to Yami?"

"They did mention they were sisters."

A third one added, "Even sisters have some differences. These two could even pass as twins."

A fourth student, with a bit of impatience, countered, "That's what being a sibling means, you dumbass! They look the same! I don't know why you keep denying it."

A boy with a monkey-like appearance kept looking at the blonde teacher for several seconds before shrugging. "What's so great about her in the first place? She is pretty and all, but that's about it. Nothing too captivating."

As soon as Saruyama said that, everyone looked at him in disbelief as if he were a complete stranger. This included several girls who were familiar with his behavior and were easily caught off guard as well. Saruyama ignored the looks, just crossing his arms and observing the teacher with an almost analytical gaze, if for the fact he eyeing assets with zero shame. "Yes, she's definitely a beauty and a sexy teacher, a dangerous combination with that meek personality of hers. But! There are bigger fish out in the wild." He put on a pondering face, as if he were a philosopher sharing deep wisdom.

One of his friends just rolled his eyes. "Are you still thinking about that imaginary girl?"

"She is not imaginary!" Saruyama shouted. "I know she's real, and so does everyone here. Or did you guys forget how she kicked our asses! She's somewhere out there, and sooner or later, we will reunite, I will proclaim my love to her, and she'll be my cute, sexy wife!"

Another boy said, "That girl wasn't even that pretty, especially compared to Tearju-sensei, or Lala for that matter."

This immediately got several glares from not just Saruyama, who looked ready to throw hands, but also several other boys from class. The intensity of which made the guy cower and hastily say, "Forget what I said, she was very pretty."

All the while this conversation was going on, Emiya sat in his seat, just holding up a book in front of his face, his face blank of emotions. He sat there quietly, pretending as if the conversation or the entire class for that matter, existed . He had learned that no amount of physical pain or verbal words could dissuade Saruyama from bringing up that embarrassing moment in time again and again. At this point, he genuinely contemplated just telling the guy the truth. He started to consider doing that, weighing the consequences. It would at most make the boy even more heartbroken or disgusted or traumatized, but that was an outcome he was willing to face if it meant that it would finally drop the topic of his unfortunate gender switch form. In the worst-case scenario, if Saruyama tried to persuade him to use that invention again, then Emiya was more than willing to use his final measure and forcefully erase his memories with a good whack to the head.

While he was thinking this, Tearju tried to raise her voice quietly, but it sounded meek that barely anyone heard her. "I-I can hear you..." But given that everyone was discussing her beauty and sexiness, she was being completely ignored, with even the female students joining the conversation and almost starting to get things rowdy.

Seeing the scene unfold, Emiya was both amused and a bit exasperated. Amused that at least someone else got to understand just how chaotic this place was, and amused to see that a person like Tearju, who was forced to deal with a terrorist organization for so long, was being overwhelmed by a bunch of human high school students.

Time passed like that, and eventually, the bell rang. Emiya met Tearju in step, as the woman walked away, looking a bit somber. Feeling a bit bad for her first day of class, he decided to approach her. "You did better than I expected."

"Kya!"

The startled yelp was followed by the sound of papers slipping from Tearju's hands and scattering across the floor once again. "Eh?" For a moment, he simply blinked. He had expected many reactions, but he didn't expect to scare her enough to drop the papers on the floor again. Realizing he had probably approached her too suddenly while she was lost in her head, he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and apologetic.

"Sorry."

Crouching down along with the panicking blonde, both of them gathered the fallen papers. Sheets were spread in every direction around the teacher's desk, forcing them to reach for the same pile more than once. As he picked up another page, his hand brushed against hers by accident - the reaction came instantly.

The blonde flinched as though she was shocked and quickly pulled away, creating a small gap between them. The sudden movement caught him completely off guard. "Oh..." A second later, she seemed to realize how that looked.

Her face flushed bright red.

"I'm s-sorry! I-It's not like that!" she blurted out, shaking her head so quickly that several strands of hair fell across her face. "It's not... I mean... It's just an involuntary reaction."

The explanation only seemed to make her more embarrassed. Before either of them could say anything else, another presence appeared behind her. "Is everything all right, Tearju-sensei?"

Run's voice was calm as she lightly tapped the teacher's shoulder.

This time... she had no reaction whatsoever. Oi...

"Yes! Everything's all right!" The answer came out much slower than previously and without sounding all jittery. Not waiting for further questions, she quickly gathered the last of the papers into her arms. The newcomer watched her gather the paper and began helping her out before turning her attention back to him, and a small smile appeared on her face.

"You look like you're in good shape."

He gave a short nod. "The battle did not severely injure my brother. A single day of rest was enough for the wounds to heal." Her gaze moved over him for a moment before she added, "I believe I should be the one worried about your condition instead."

The comment earned a faint chuckle.

Compared to the reaction they had just witnessed, that straightforward concern felt far easier to deal with. "Not you too. Why is it that everyone is going to always take that approach with me?"

Run shook her head, crossing her arms. "Most people would be worried after something like that. It's a pretty normal reaction. You, on the other hand? Not reacting nearly enough. Ren might call it manly, but I call it reckless." Her tone sharpened just a bit, giving him a cute pout with puffed cheeks. "Don't pull something like that again."

"Duly noted." He offered a small nod. "Glad you're back. Hopefully things stay calm for a while."

Run returned the nod, but as she turned to leave, her steps slowed. She hesitated, looking like she was wrestling with something internally. Finally, she glanced back at him. "So... Do you have any plans this weekend?"

He didn't miss a beat. "Let me guess, another date?"

She stomped her feet cutely. "The first one couldn't even be called a date, given how it got ruined, and I barely got to spend any time with you."

He raised an eyebrow. "This isn't just an elaborate scheme to 'steal' me away or make Lala jealous?"

This made her make an awkward face and avoided his gaze, which basically admitted that he hit the nail.. "It's nothing like that! It's merely gratitude for what you've done for us." She said far too quickly.

Emiya, on the other hand, just looked at her. "I don't fully believe you, but if you're fine with me bringing along someone else, then sure."

The Memorze princess once again pouted and stomped her feet. "Fine!" With that, she walked away, leaving with a huff.

As she left, his eyes went back to staring at the shy teacher dryly, with him shaking his head at Tearju. "Involuntary reaction, huh? You sure were quite calm when Run came up behind you without notice and even touched you."

This made her once again look away in shame. "It's not what you think. I don't have any negative thoughts about you or that I'm afraid of you."

"It sure does look like that way."

Tearju got more embarrassed. "It's because of what happened at the house during Christmas. I just got jumpy around you since then."

Emiya facepalmed himself and then groaned. "What the hell really happened?"

This made Tearju look at him with surprise. "You don't remember?"

"At this point, I don't even want to remember, but I'm forced to deal with it here and now," he replied.

After that, both of them walked to the teacher's room as he carried some papers and stuff for her. On the way there, Tearju said, "She's watching us."

Emiya nodded as he glanced aside at the end of the hallway. He saw Yami standing there awkwardly for some reason, ignoring the other students around her as she kept handing them bottles of milk one by one. This ended up confusing several people, but nonetheless, they accepted the gift from the demure and cute girl.

"She's just being cautious and probably feeling awkward trying to talk to you," he said.

Tearju smiled. "I think it makes her look cute." She looked at him as they got into the room and continued to look at him in silence. He noticed. "Is there something on my face?"

"At this point, Yami most likely only sees you as a sole figure she can rely on," Tearju said with a soft smile.

This immediately made him realize what she was trying to say. "That doesn't sound right. There are other people whom Yami can trust."

She went to her office table and dropped her paper. "Trusting someone and trusting them enough to find them reliable to lean on are two very different things. Perhaps Yami can trust me now, but she does not rely on me. If something were to happen, something beyond her control, the first and only person she would ever rush to for help would be you."

"There are times where it's quite the opposite, and I'm the one relying on her to help me out," he joked, but not denying her words.

This made her smile. "You may look at it as such, but not everyone does. In fact, a lot of people have started to rely on you, even Ryouko."

"That is completely false. With Ryouko, I'm definitely the one who's relying on her more often than not. I saved her once, but she helped me several times."

"Relying on someone doesn't necessarily mean physical help," she explained patiently. "It also means emotional support. One does not need to just be strong to be reliable and provide a sense of security."

He shook his head and looked at Tearju. "Who do you rely on then?"

The woman considered his question for a few seconds. "For most of my life? Myself. That was about it." She let out a small sigh. "There were times I wanted to lean on Ryouko, but doing that would've just dragged her deeper into danger. She had enough to deal with without me adding to it." A faint smile crossed her face. "But now that she's here, and things have settled down a bit... I wouldn't mind depending on her and the others more. And you; I don't want to put too much on your shoulders, but in return, you can rely on me too."

"I appreciate that," he said, and he meant it. But the reality was that she had her own pile of problems to sort through. Getting her tangled up in his mess wasn't something he was looking to do any time soon. "But even with everything going on, I'll manage. No need to worry about me."

Tearju shook her head lightly. "That's not what I'm talking about." Her gaze steadied. "I mean the other issue you haven't dealt with yet. The one involving Nemesis and Mea.

This made him pause, before turning to give her a serious gaze. "Do you know something I can use against them?"

"I know that after hearing from others that you've been dealing with Nemesis lately and given her recent plot and plans, she will most likely come looking for you again."

"She is very difficult to deal with," he said while remembering his several interactions with that assassin. "She may look like she has a corporal body, but after fighting her a couple of times, I have come to the understanding that it's just a facade. She's like an elemental."

The blonde teacher looked at him with confusion and repeated, "An elemental?"

He then elaborated, "It's basically an entity composed of a single element. To put it simply, it's more complicated than that, but at the basics, it's not something that can be killed so easily with just physical attacks. Like a pile of rocks gaining sentience and taking shape, or fire, or anything else."

"You're not far off. In fact, you're quite spot-on. She's actually made of dark matter."

"Dark matter, huh?" Emiya repeated with a pondering expression. Not exactly a common element he had to deal with in the past, different from ether but not exactly Magical Energy. "Such an element is most likely not weakened by magical energy. I doubt holy energy or any other elemental attack would damage it. My best and only chance is to exhaust her. Even she has her limits. So, if pushed far enough, she'll start to break." He continued mumbling about possible ways to take down Nemesis.

Pa!

"Eh?"

Tearju grabbed a book and gently smacked his head, much to his surprise, looking at him with a pout. "You're being too ruthless here with your way of thinking." Her action caught him off guard. "What?" he asked, not at all angered or even pissed off by the action but instead confused.

"Why does Nemesis require to be dealt with by lethal force in your mind? She's an equally unfortunate soul experimented on by Solgam to be a biological weapon. She, Yami, and Mea share a similar beginning. And she may be just searching for someone to save her as well, just like the other two have already done."

"I understand that, but if that woman begins trying to target my family, then I cannot show sympathy and risk their lives even further." He said, understanding where she was coming from, but still not willing to take the risk of his family getting caught in the crossfire.

Tearju just looked at him with a confused expression and tilted her face. "Haven't you basically gone against your words this entire time?" This confused him, so she continued. "You have visibly and clearly had a lot going on. I heard a lot from Ryouko, and from the sounds of it, many people, whether it be the princess, Yami, or Mea, each one at some point may have caused some issues that could have harmed your siblings one way or another. Yet you went out of your way to help them regardless. The only time you generally went to kill was against Lacospo."

"It's different," he said.

"Yes, it is different, but there is still hope for them," Tearju insisted. "I feel responsible and am responsible for what happened to Yami, regardless of what others might say. In a way, I also feel the same for the other two, even if they were not made from my own DNA. I still see them as Yami's sisters who were misguided."

Emiya scoffed.

"Calling Nemesis misguided is certainly one way to describe it."

Her comment dragged his mind back to their past run-ins. The truth was, he didn't hate her and he didn't lump her in with some of the other dangerous types who'd passed through this town over the years and somehow lived to tell about it. Strength had never been what put him on edge around her. It was how she handled things. Everything seemed to be just a game to her, some kind of entertainment.

His expression soured slightly.

The memory of their fight was still fresh, particularly that little stunt where she transformed into Mea. It had been meant as a joke, perhaps even a harmless one by her standards, didn't change the fact that he did not appreciate the action. More than anything, it perfectly summed up what bothered him about her.

"I'm not begging you or telling you to go out of your way to save them and help them. I have no right to do so, and I also feel like it's not a good idea to be fully focused on that. And Nemesis generally carries some danger to your siblings if not careful enough. But if you have the opportunity or the means to help them out, even ever so slightly, or give them a chance, take it and see if it will change anything. I don't believe that they will all turn out like Yami, but even if there is a one percent chance, I'm willing to give it a try. And I will also try to do my best on my side and see if I can change anything."

He nodded, neither agreeing outright nor denying her words. "I won't make any promises. But as you said, I'll give it a try."

That answer seemed to satisfy her. A gentle smile appeared on her face before she suddenly raised a hand and began ruffling his hair. The unexpected gesture caught him completely off guard at first. Her fingers moved through the combed red hair with white strands.

"You are a kind boy with a good heart." The compliment only made him more uncomfortable. A faint frown appeared on his face as he reached up, attempting to escape the treatment.

"Stop that," he complained. "I'm not a kid."

Rather than taking the hint, she simply laughed. The reaction only made him retreat another step, creating some distance between them. Watching him do so seemed to amuse her even more.

The amused expression lingering on her face softened slightly. "You and Yami are quite similar."

That earned a raised eyebrow.

For a moment, he looked as though he might argue with the comparison. Instead, he merely shook his head and turned toward the door. "Whatever you say. Quite odd for someone who was just being jumpy around me."

The response drew another quiet chuckle from behind him. Without adding anything further, he stepped into the hallway and pulled the door shut.

{Break}

The residential streets were quiet at this hour. A gentle breeze stirred the trees lining the sidewalks, occasionally carrying the distant sounds of traffic from a larger road several blocks away. Emiya figured Haruna and the others should be waiting for them and made sure not to be too late, hands tucked into his pockets as he followed the route toward Haruna's parents' house. Dressed in a plain white shirt with a gray overshirt left unbuttoned, a pair of dark pants, and ordinary shoes, there was nothing about him that stood out. Anyone passing by would have mistaken him for just another young man out for an evening stroll.

The same could not be said for the boy beside him.

Rito had clearly put considerably more effort into his appearance. His clothes were fashionable without being excessive, carefully selected to look presentable while still appearing casual. Every few minutes, however, he found himself adjusting his sleeves, checking his collar, or glancing down at his outfit as though hoping for reassurance that he had not made a terrible mistake.

Eventually, the nervousness got the better of him.

"I look a bit overdressed, don't I?" he asked.

A glance was sent his way before the red-haired young man answered. "Those are the clothes you picked yourself. Complaining now is a bit late, especially after you spent nearly half an hour questioning every shirt I handed you."

"Because those were normal clothes," he protested weakly, knowing full well that it was his choice at the end of the day. "The kind of stuff I wear around the house. You seriously expected me to show up like that?"

"I expected you to dress like a normal person."

"I am dressed like a normal person."

"No," came the immediate reply. "You're dressed like someone preparing for a magazine photoshoot."

The accusation earned a look of disbelief. "What kind of magazines are you reading?"

"The expensive kind, apparently."

Rito groaned. Regardless of his choice of apparel, the pair continued down the sidewalk, passing neatly maintained gardens and rows of suburban homes. The closer they got to their destination, the more obvious it became that Rito's attention was drifting elsewhere. His responses grew slower. His shoulders became noticeably stiffer. Every so often, he would glance ahead before quickly looking away again.

It didn't take a detective to notice these things. "This is supposed to be a casual visit.."

"I know."

"We're not negotiating peace between rival nations."

"I know."

"We're not meeting her parents to discuss an arranged marriage either."

Rito immediately turned toward him, almost tripping from the sudden curve ball thrown at him. "Why would you even say that?"

The redhead shrugged innocently, but the smirk on his face said otherwise.

Seeing it, Rito was really tempted to punch him in the face.

"I'm just trying to establish a scale. You look like you're about to walk into a job interview where your future depends on every answer."

"It kind of does."

"No, it doesn't."

"It does to me."

The response came out so quickly that even he seemed surprised by it. For a moment, neither spoke. The only sound was their footsteps against the pavement. Then the older sibling sighed. "You're overthinking it."

"Easy for you to say."

"It is. Because I'm not the one creating imaginary disasters in my head."

"I'm not creating disasters."

"You absolutely are."

Rito opened his mouth to argue, only to stop halfway through. The brief hesitation told Emiya everything he needed to know. A grin appeared on his face. "You already imagined something going wrong, didn't you?"

"...Maybe."

"How bad?"

The silence that followed was answer enough. "Remarkable. We haven't even arrived yet, and you've somehow managed to convince yourself things are already falling apart."

A mild glare was sent his way for that comment, though it lacked any real hostility. Despite the teasing, the tension in Rito's shoulders eased slightly. Not much, but enough that his breathing became a little less forced. Unfortunately for him, Emiya seemed fully aware of that fact.

"Where's Mikan?" Rito asked.

"She, Lala, and her sisters have decided to spend some time together to play that virtual reality game," he replied, honestly feeling a bit envious and disappointed that he missed the opportunity to join them. The former Counter Guardian really missed working at that inn of his... He wondered if it was still in business.

As soon as he said that, Rito made a face. "I really miss playing that game." Emiya agreed as they arrived at the house. Emiya looked at Rito and shook his head upon seeing the boy being so tense and nervous. He was visibly trying to stay composed but failing to do so, given that he was already starting to sweat.

"All right," Emiya said. "For tonight, my mission will be to not make you fall on any girls, whether it be Haruna, Akiho, or God forbid, their mother."

The orange-brown-haired boy gave him a baffled look. "Hey! I would never do such a thing!"

"You would never willingly fall on girls and have your hand end up in the most intimate of places in the first place, but it still happens in the end." Emiya countered. "So clearly, it's not you who is in control. It's a supernatural clumsiness that's all that makes the decision and chooses the target."

Rito made a face of frustration as he could not deny that and just gave up. "Okay, just look out for me." They rang the doorbell, and the door opened. Surprisingly, neither Haruna nor her parents appeared. The first thing he saw was a large palm filling his vision and grabbing onto his face with enough force to nearly feel like his neck was about to be snapped. His entire body was literally lifted from the ground and dragged in the opposite direction in a matter of seconds. Rito stood there fully stunned, looking around, trying to find where his brother had gone and his kidnapper, only to find no one. Soon, he heard footsteps coming from inside the house and saw Haruna. "Oh, you're here, Yuki-kun. Is your brother not with you?" she asked as she saw her parents also in the background coming to greet him. Unable to give a response, Rito was just a ball of nerves as he stood there unable to say anything, looking back and forth between her and where his brother had disappeared. He was even afraid to move or greet her, given that he did not want to cause any problems in front of the parents! His inner thoughts were screaming, 'Come back, Nii-san!'

...

The moment the front door opened, Emiya barely had enough time to register what was happening. One second, he had been standing inside the house. Next, the world became a blur. Walls, houses, and streetlights flashed past so quickly they were reduced to streaks of color, making it almost seem like he was inside a speeding car. Then came the abrupt stop.

His back struck a wall with enough force to make him dazed, though not enough to injure him, but the impact certainly wasn't pleasant. A dull ache spread across his shoulders while a slight soreness lingered around his neck from being hauled away with all the subtlety of a kidnapping. For a few moments, he simply stood there, staring at the culprit in front of him. "Does superhuman strength run in the family?"

The question was directed at the blue-haired girl standing only a few feet away. Long hair fell down her back, swaying slightly in the evening breeze that drifted through the nearby balcony. Akiho looked entirely unapologetic about what she had just done. If anything, she appeared rather pleased with herself.

A wide smile spread across her face. "What's up, Emiya-kun~?"

The greeting alone would have been strange enough after effectively abducting him from the entrance, but she wasn't finished. "Quite a beautiful night we have here. The moon is pretty."

That made him pause.

A single eyebrow rose.

The statement itself was innocent enough on the surface. The problem was that he knew exactly what that phrase could mean in certain contexts. Looking at her expression did not help either. The girl was smiling far too much for him to determine whether she had said it intentionally or had simply stumbled into it by coincidence.

Unfortunately, both possibilities seemed equally likely. "You know," he began, straightening his shirt after the less-than-graceful transportation process, "most people greet someone they haven't seen in a while with a phone call, a text message, or maybe a simple hello."

Akiho tilted her head.

"And?"

"And none of those involve being yanked like a ragdoll."

"I think you're exaggerating."

"You literally pulled me from the streets before anyone noticed."

"That just means my method was efficient." The answer came so quickly that it sounded as though she had already prepared a defense beforehand.

He stared at her for several seconds. The blue-haired girl stared right back, looking entirely satisfied with her logic. Eventually, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I can't even argue with that because I know it won't accomplish anything."

"See? You're learning."

"That's not learning. That's just reluctant acceptance."

"Well," she said, clasping her hands behind her back while taking a small step backwards - finally giving him some space, "it's been a while since we've had a chance to talk properly. I figured I should take advantage of the opportunity before someone else steals your attention."

"By kidnapping me."

"Temporarily relocating you."

"Those are not the same thing."

"They're similar enough."

The confidence with which she said it made it clear that further debate would accomplish absolutely nothing. At that point, he simply gave up trying to understand her reasoning. Experience had taught him that attempting to apply normal logic to certain people only resulted in headaches. Judging by the cheerful expression on her face, Akiho was once again proving that rule correct.

"You know how I am," she said innocently. "This is how I show my love. How's your little harem been going? Did you add a few more girls to the list? The last time I saw you, it was that sick girl who really had a thing for you."

Emiya shook his head. "How do you even know this? And Risa is not in a relationship with me.."

"It's because Risa gave me her number."

"Of course she did," he replied, once again remembering just how much of a social butterfly Risa could be if she tried. "What's with the kidnapping? Did something happen again in your family?"

Akiho looked at him with a frown. "What do you mean?" she asked, crossing her arms. "You're saying it as if I had a history of causing trouble. I have a perfect record. I'm a perfect student, I have a job, and I'm a perfect citizen."

"You called me several times in the past few years whenever you broke something at your office," Emiya said. "Or that one time when you had an accident using your family's car and had to call me to smooth out the front bump to make it look like nothing happened."

This made Akiho make an ugly expression. "Why did you need to bring that up? It's been so long."

"It's been only six months."

"That's a long time!" Akiho insisted. Both of them argued, extending it a bit further, but it wasn't an angry argument, just a casual one between two people who acted mean to each other but actually liked each other.

Then Emiya seriously asked her what had happened. Akiho slapped her hands together and bowed her head. "I need a favor from you again! I'll pay you back for it immensely with whatever you like!"

"It depends on the favor," Emiya said. "And I won't do anything for free like last time."

This made her groan before she took out her wallet, grabbed every bit of cash from within, and handed it over to him. "I want you to be my boyfriend! Let me rent you for a bit!"

This stunned Emiya as he stayed there with his mouth hanging open for several seconds until he said, "I'm not a gigolo!"

"I know that! But it's the only thing that has any value I can give you right now, and you're the one not willing to take my favors!"

"That's because you're useless and can never help me out with things I might need!"

"I can do your grocery shopping for you!" Akiho countered.

"You got half the list wrong last time and somehow came back with an alcoholic cake when we were planning Rito's birthday!" He fired back.

"That was a one-time mistake," Akiho said, though not with much confidence in her tone.

Emiya sighed. "Why do you want to rent me as a boyfriend again?"

So Akiho came clean. "My parents have been all over me lately about my love life. A while back I told them I already had a boyfriend just to get them off my back, but now they're convinced I made it up, so they're back to grilling me and giving me these super suspicious looks."

"Just tell them the truth," Emiya said. "What if they pester you about your love life? It's your business, not theirs."

"It's not so simple," Akiho mumbled while averting her eyes from him. "My mother has been talking to me about her friends and hinting about them having quite successful sons, I'm too young to be married, especially to someone I don't know!"

"You're probably exaggerating," he said with an exasperated look. "You're still attending college. What kind of parents would start thinking about marriage so early?"

"But another reason I want to do this is not to look bad in front of my sister. Haruna really believed me when I said that I had a boyfriend, and if I suddenly went now and said that all of it was a lie, it would ruin my image as a respectable big sister! I couldn't bear losing the image she has on me."

"What is it with people constantly overthinking things? No, I'm not doing it. Woman up and tell them the truth." He started walking back to the house quickly, before Rito ended up messing up and slipping on a piece of paper or something, but Akiho clung to his arm tightly as he kept walking, dragging her along as well.

She moaned loud enough that lights from a few houses turned on, "Please accept! It's only for a single day, and I'll pay you handsomely! My editor-in-chief recently gave me a bonus in my pay, and I've been getting a lot lately."

"Not interested," he said dryly, not giving her any leeway to this disastrous plan. "I already have enough issues on my end and don't want to add more if I can stop it. It would make things even more awkward between Haruna and me."

The eldest Sairenji sibling momentarily went silent as she also realized that he was perhaps right. Then she begged him again, saying that there had to be a way.

He thought for a moment about another solution rather than going with her plan. He owed her that much at least. "Perhaps there is, but I'll handle it."

Akiho became ecstatic and hugged him. "Thank you, thank you!" and so on.

Reaching back to the house, both of them went inside. They saw the group in the dining room, with Rito sitting there all still like a statue, not moving a muscle as if he was frozen, moving his head slightly as if to say yes or no to the parents' questioning. Haruna came along with a tray filled with an assortment of drinks.

Akiho said loudly, "We're back!"

Haruna looked at her, exasperated. "Why did you kidnap Emiya like that? That's not how you greet a guest! And you shouldn't be doing that since he's not in the best form!"

Akiho blinked in confusion and looked toward him, silently asking for an explanation. The redhead simply waved a hand dismissively.

"It's a long story."

That only seemed to make her more curious, but before she could ask further questions, the conversation moved on.

Not long afterward, everyone had gathered around the dining table. The atmosphere was comfortable and familiar, filled with the sort of casual discussion that naturally happened when family members sat together after not seeing one another for a while. Plates and cups occupied most of the table's surface while the adults carried on the conversation from one topic to another.

Questions were directed toward Emiya more than once. Some at Rito, though the latter was a ball of nerves, even answering a simple question proved to be a challenge. So he had to take over most of the time. His short answers earned a few amused looks, forcing him to elaborate slightly whenever someone refused to accept the bare minimum response. The discussion drifted toward daily life, recent events, and mutual acquaintances. For a time, everything felt normal.

Eventually, however, the topic shifted. One of the adults glanced toward Akiho. "By the way, why exactly did you run away with him?"

The question immediately changed the atmosphere around the table.

"Ah..." The blue-haired girl froze.

Until now, she had been participating normally, occasionally adding her own comments to the conversation. Now she simply sat there, unsure how to answer. Her gaze drifted toward the person seated beside her, silently asking for help. The silence stretched long enough for everyone to notice.

Emiya cleared his throat. That alone drew the attention of everyone at the table. "Recently, something important happened that required my presence. Akiho has also been relying on me quite a bit during that period. I've been acting as a source of support for her."

The explanation was simple, with several people exchanging glances.

The joking atmosphere that had filled the room only moments earlier faded noticeably. The casual smiles disappeared, replaced by expressions of confusion and concern. Even Akiho looked slightly surprised by how seriously he had answered.

One of the adults frowned. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Another leaned forward slightly.

"Did something happen?"

The questions came. The shift in tone had been impossible to miss. The room had gone from lighthearted family conversation to something much more serious in the span of a few sentences. Even the girl at the center of the discussion remained quiet, her hands resting on her lap as she waited to see how much he intended to reveal.

"I've been serving as a sort of advisor to Akiho," he confessed with a genuine tone, which confused the parents.

"Advisor?"

"Yes, Akiho's boyfriend has recently been discovered cheating on her with a co-worker, and I've been working alongside her to reveal all the secrets of that man and his infidelity."

"Pft!"

"Hah!?"

"N-Nee-san has a boyfriend!? A-And he's cheating on her!?"

This made everyone do a spit take, including Akiho, Rito, and Haruna, with the mother starting to cough and the father slamming his hand on the table and saying, "What!?"

.

.

.

After that bombshell, dinner had come and gone before anyone really noticed how much time had passed. What had started as a simple visit had turned into several hours of conversation, old stories, and the occasional embarrassing topic that inevitably surfaced whenever parents were involved. Eventually, the adults remained behind at the house while the younger group headed out for some fresh air, leaving the warmth of the dining room for the cool evening breeze outside.

The streets were quiet, and before long they found themselves walking through a nearby park illuminated by scattered streetlamps. The glow reflected off the paved paths and cast long shadows across the grass. Akiho was still clearly amused by the events of earlier. Every time the conversation drifted elsewhere, she seemed to remember something and start laughing all over again.

"Hahaha, that was priceless!" The blue-haired girl nearly doubled over with another burst of laughter. "Your plan totally blindsided me, but hey, I can't argue with the results. You're a natural-born liar."

The fabricated story about her nonexistent boyfriend had gone over far better than expected. The tale of a cheating partner, gathering evidence of infidelity, and exposing everything before finally ending the relationship had been dramatic enough to seize everyone's attention immediately. More importantly, it had redirected every uncomfortable question away from her actual love life. The reaction from her parents had been especially memorable. Her father had looked ready to grab his non-existent shotgun and hunt down a man who didn't even exist, while her mother had spent most of the evening expressing support for her daughter's decision to leave such a terrible partner behind.

Akiho took another sip from the can of beer she'd purchased from a convenience store earlier, shaking her head in disbelief.

"With a bombshell like that, my mother won't be asking about my love life for months." A grin spread across her face. "Honestly, I doubt she'll even have time to gossip with the neighbors when she's busy telling everyone about the horrible imaginary boyfriend who broke her daughter's heart."

The redhead accepted the can of juice she offered him, turning it in his hand before taking a small drink.

"Then I suppose the operation was a success."

"A complete success," she agreed immediately. "Although I still think you being my fake boyfriend would have been easier. You could've earned three thousand yen for conversation compensation."

"It would've caused more problems than it solved," he said after another sip of the beer. "As I told you before, it would've made things even more awkward where Haruna is concerned. Your situation would've improved while mine became considerably more complicated."

The blue-haired woman thought about that for a moment before conceding to his point. "Yeah, that's fair. I suppose creating one disaster to avoid another isn't exactly ideal."

"That's a surprisingly reasonable conclusion."

"Don't sound so shocked."

"I've known you long enough to be shocked."

The comment earned a light kick aimed at his shin, which he avoided without much effort.

Their conversation gradually faded as she glanced around the park. The paths nearby were mostly empty, occupied only by the occasional jogger or couple out for an evening stroll. After scanning the area for several seconds, confusion began creeping onto her face.

"Speaking of which..." She turned slowly, looking in several directions. "Where did those two rascals disappear to?"

"Rito went with Haruna to buy more snacks from the nearby convenience store," Emiya replied.

Akiho looked at the stars. "I really have no plan on looking for a relationship right now and want to focus more on myself and my career."

"It's your choice, and I have no say on the matter," Emiya said.

Akiho reached out and pulled his ear. "This bastard, you could at least give me your blessing."

He pushed her hand away. "As if it will do anything. My blessing would most likely be like a bad luck thing."

Akiho disagreed.

"Ever since I met you, things have been quite energetic in my life, not so boring, so I wouldn't say it's bad luck. Speaking of meeting him last time, I did come across a nice-looking ikemen with dark blonde hair whose name I forgot... it was, uh... Kotegawa something. But we couldn't talk much since I had a lot to do that day. Even though I know you are also not looking to have a relationship at the moment, surely you must have someone in mind. Do you have someone in mind at the very least?"

He swung a bit and pondered the matter. "I never really gave things like romantic relationships and settling down any thoughts at all. It feels like thinking about it right now would be too early for me, and I just don't feel like it's the right time."

"You're dodging the subject. I'm not asking you if it's the appropriate time or not, or if it feels right, but just if you have someone in mind. If I say 'girlfriend,' what's the first face that appears in your mind?"

Emiya said nothing as he tried that, and for a brief moment, blurry memories from the past surfaced, including the face of a certain twin-tailed girl. He chuckled. "I have perhaps some attachment issues with people I had met a long while ago that I still hold onto despite knowing that I let them go through my own volition. How hypocritical."

This made Akiho excited. "So there is someone after all! And it sounds like it's someone from a long time in his life then." She made a pondering face and looked at him strangely. "Is it not Haruna?"

"Why would she think that?" This woman just liked creating trouble with a mind like that. Good thing those two were not present. "Despite what I said, I'm finding myself currently facing someone who possesses a level of stubbornness I hadn't seen in a while. Even though I made my point to her clear a long time ago, she somehow manages to get close and worm her way deeper. I want to feel like I hate it, but it's hard to hate her in the least, and at some point, I even find her presence quite joyful."

Akiho made a look of astonishment as if she was listening to pure gossip. "Two girls? Oh my! You're such a player!"

Emiya just chuckled. "It's three people. But that moment was an accident where I barely even remember what happened, and I wouldn't count it, honestly. But it's not like I'm not giving them a clear answer. They just don't seem to accept my answer. Some of them are more stubborn than others. And some of them are more than happy to wait to play the waiting game."

"Your life makes me think of an ero-romance visual novel game I played back in high school," the woman mumbled with a whisper, that distinct comparison sounding more like an insult than anything else. "Are you some sort of harem protagonist?"

"It'd be best for you to shut up and not make such comparisons. I'd rather just be a normal character in the game."

"As if that would happen," Akiho said with an audible huff. "With your personality, I've known you for quite a while. Even if you were to be thrown into the game as a regular NPC, you would somehow break the game and end up as the main character one way or another."

Emiya rolled his eyes and said nothing, then looked at his watch. "It's quite late. We should go back. We'll accompany you and Haruna to your apartment since I already said goodbye to your parents."

As he got up to leave, he noticed Akiho wasn't on the swing beside him anymore; she'd moved over near the bushes and was crouched down low. He walked over. "What's wrong?" The words had barely left his mouth before her hand shot up and clamped it shut. She shot him a look like she was about to knock him out, hissed at him to be quiet, and yanked him down beside her so they could both press their faces to the gap in the bushes. On the other side, Haruna and Rito were standing together, the latter with his eyes screwed shut, bent into a deep bow, voice going at full volume...

"Please go out with me and be my girlfriend!"

Emiya was stunned, even as he felt a smile form on his face.

"Well, well, well... he actually had the courage to do it in the end."

.

.

.

(Bonus)

Tearju sat on the sofa quietly, sipping from a cup of tea while observing the commotion going on around her. The house felt lively, not too noisy at all, but filled with an energy that made the space feel warm and occupied. While it had been awkward at first, she had managed to meet and greet several new people whom she had previously only known by name, or had seen from afar, or heard about from Ryouko. The blonde doctor remained somewhat of a timid adult in this setting, not quite knowing what to do, so she just sat there keeping watch while trying not to get in anyone's way.

Her attention drifted to the kitchen, where Ryouko was talking with Emiya. It was strange seeing her old friend behave like that. The way Ryouko carried herself reminded Tearju of a much younger version of her friend, back when they were still studying and causing trouble for others. She looked so young and youthful around him in a strange way, so energetic and carefree. Even a blind person could tell why she was behaving that way because of him. The atmosphere made Tearju smile, feeling happy for her friend and equally making her more curious about him than ever before.

"He doesn't even feel like someone his age with how he talks and conducts himself," Tearju whispered to herself. "Speaking to him feels like I'm facing someone my age, or maybe someone older."

She realized that, regardless of what kind of person he was, she was glad Yami ended up finding him first upon reaching this planet. He had been capable enough to change her ways. In a way, she owed him a great debt that she did not know how she would ever repay.

"Well, I'll figure this out later," Tearju told herself as Emiya got busy talking to the newest guest.

Ryouko approached Tearju. "Are you having fun?" the woman asked.

Tearju, sitting on the sofa awkwardly, nodded as she continued petting the young Plantas child who had wandered onto her lap at some point. "It is an interesting party, and everyone seems so excited."

"This is your first Christmas party, right?" Ryouko mentioned. "You should let yourself go a bit more and just have fun."

"Drinking alcohol is already my idea of letting go," Tearju said with a small smile. "I'm perfectly happy just watching the others enjoy themselves. You should join Emiya and the others and have your own fun rather than worrying about me."

Ryouko just shook her head and sighed. "My friend is being complicated, but I respect your decision." With that, she went back to the kitchen and interacted with him further.

Watching them, Tearju started to question just what exactly made her friend become like that. Even back during their academy years, Ryouko had always been a very popular girl with no small number of people striving for her affection. Yet she always turned them down, barely being interested in relationships, focusing more on her studies and then her career. She seemed even more transfixed than Tearju herself, even though Ryouko would say otherwise to anyone else. Yet from what Tearju gathered, less than a handful of years on this planet made her become very close to this human boy.

"Is he human to begin with?" Tearju wondered to herself. She could always check by gathering his DNA, since no other humans had showcased the ability to use magic. That was very unique, and truthfully, aside from his own words and his appearance, nothing about this person seemed human at all. It would be a lie to say that Tearju did not at some point wonder if he had any parallels to Yami and could have been a creation of Solgam, but that idea was scrapped upon uncovering more and more of his past in her spare time and realizing that the timing just did not add up. She figured asking him too many questions would not be ideal and would be seen as a bit invasive, so best to just ignore it for now. It wasn't her place to get curious and ask questions.

After that, Tearju looked around the house and was approached by Risa, who greeted her. "Hey, Tearju! I'm surprised you're here!"

"I was invited by Ryouko," Tearju responded with a smile. "You're quite close to Emiya, aren't you? How long have you been friends?"

"It hasn't been that long, honestly," Risa answered. "Several people here, like Haruna, have known him for longer, but I suppose my personality just meshes with him better." Risa looked around and muttered under her breath, "Where the hell is Momo?" Then she looked at Tearju with an awkward expression. "Could you put the bottle I was given by Momo in the fridge? I have something else to do, and I'm trying to find Yui."

Tearju agreed. "Yui is outside." She grabbed the bottle and looked at it with a stunned expression as she realized what it was. "I wonder what such an expensive alcoholic drink is doing here?" She knew how rare it was to find it on any planet and how expensive it was. The drink could cost enough to buy several spaceships.

After placing it in the fridge, Tearju wandered around the house, looking around and speaking to others, exchanging greetings and so on. Then she met Emiya's mother, Ringo, who was surprised to see Tearju there.

"It's so nice to have you here!" Ringo said with a warm smile.

Tearju, a bit embarrassed, said that she was happy to be here and mentioned that she had heard of Ringo and was a fan of her designs in fashion and had been following her career for some time.

"Oh my, how flattering! Well, if you're ever interested, you can work for me as a model," Ringo said. "You definitely have the right proportions, and would look amazing in all kinds of outfits! I mean, just look at the way you're rocking that Santa outfit!"

Tearju got embarrassed and said that it wasn't her kind of work and she would be too embarrassed to do so, but would keep the offer in mind. Before she left, Ringo looked at her and asked why she didn't join them for a king game.

Tearju was confused about what the game was about, and wasn't exactly reassured when Ringo smirked and pulled her along, saying that she would see it was loads of fun.

Tearju then joined the group gathering together to play the king game. She sat quietly and reacted with surprise and became a bit flustered upon seeing the kind of commands given for such a game-from daring to bold questions that made her wonder just how anyone could answer that without looking embarrassed. More importantly, there were even bolder actions like the kissing part! Upon seeing Emiya approaching Yui, she wondered if he was really about to do it, and to her much surprise, he actually did!

Tearju spectated the entire thing as if it were a drama show, realizing that she enjoyed watching it more than anything else and was even looking forward to seeing how it would go. But unfortunately, the kiss itself caused Yui to faint and drop out of the game, leaving a few others, along with herself, to keep playing.

"Let the games continue!" Risa said. With the numbers drawn again and again, the king stick ended up being picked by other girls, but it never landed in Tearju's fingers. Most, if not all of them, never really targeted her with their actions or questions. Normally, someone would be a bit sad that they weren't getting attention, but she was happy since she really couldn't see herself accomplishing most of what was being asked and was just happy blending into the background and being momentarily forgotten and not targeted.

Then the king ended up being Ringo, who let out a cheerful "Woohoo!" She looked around the table before her eyes landed on Tearju. The blonde teacher became tense with nervousness as she begged the woman not to guess her number.

Ringo then smirked and said, "Number seven should tell everyone who they have a crush on!"

Tearju looked at her own stick and then released a sigh of relief, realizing that she was actually number six. But who was... her guess was immediately made upon seeing Haruna becoming all crimson-faced upon seeing that she was holding the number seven stick. Then the group's focus shifted to Haruna stuttering, trying to answer the question, trying to dodge it, wanting more than anything to get out of being the center of attention for something so personal. After several seconds of stuttering, she backed away, saying that she had given up, abandoning.

Risa said that Haruna shouldn't quit and should just say it out loud, that no one would judge her, only for Haruna to say that she just didn't feel like saying it.

The game continued with another player down, and Tearju started to realize that she was being targeted by Ringo, who kept trying to guess her number as she grabbed the king stick three more times in the rounds that followed, but failed every time. One of her attempts kept having her trying to make the numbers she chose to keep on drinking more alcohol, but it only worked once or twice, with Tearju having drunk one cup at most. Most of the time, it ended up being with Emiya, who drank five cups, and the effects were growing increasingly visible on his face. As for Ringo, she ended up falling for her own trap, as Risa also chose the same option and made her drink a lot of alcohol. But unlike the rest, her tolerance seemed to be quite bad, and the woman ended up falling unconscious from just a single sip.

"This is quite intense," Risa said. "I will definitely win this game!"

Tearju realized that Emiya had put on an amused expression. "You're quite invested in this game."

Risa glared at him. "You're not invested enough!"

"It's just a game."

In the background, Ryouko had a mischievous expression that Tearju noticed, realizing that her friend was about to create trouble, which she did upon saying, "Whoever ends up being the winner of this game will end up winning a very valuable prize that I'm putting on the table: a full renovation of their kitchen."

Emiya didn't take the bait, saying that Lala had already upgraded the kitchen, so he didn't really care that much for Ryouko's offer.

Ryouko hummed. "It will be more than that. Your kitchen will hold a teleporter that links directly to a planet that houses ninety percent of all different kinds of fruits and vegetables found across the galaxy-a farm planet of sorts, an agriculture planet where the best chefs across the galaxy yearn to be able to visit. Every imaginable vegetable and food that has existed on Earth or on any other planet, even those that have gone extinct on their planet of origin thousands of years ago, are there, grown in an isolated environment suited for their own kind. Made possible only with the efforts of several civilizations working in collaboration to cultivate them all, and only accessible to the very elites of the galaxy."

The announcement immediately drew Emiya's attention. The casual look he had been wearing moments earlier faded, replaced by a much more serious expression. Then the stick was drawn, and fate, apparently deciding it had not caused him enough trouble already, selected him as the King.

A faint groan escaped her mouth. Rubbing a hand across his face, "This is harder than I hoped it would be. What order would all of you be unable to accomplish? I can have you do... no, too far." Across the table, Tearju noticed the slight flush on his face. Between the alcohol and the game itself, everyone was already acting far less restrained than usual. Deciding that this was heading in a dangerous direction, she quietly began inching backward, hoping to avoid drawing attention to herself.

That hope lasted all of three seconds. Ryouko turned toward her with a knowing smile. "Are you planning on backing away, Tearju?"

The former scientist immediately straightened in her seat. "I-I was not backing away." After a brief pause, she added more honestly, "This whole planet thing simply does not interest me very much."

Rather than argue, the older woman leaned closer and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "If you lose," she said pleasantly, but it looked quite menacing to the blonde, "I happen to have an entire collection of photographs from our academy years. I would be more than happy to share them with everyone."

"What!?"

The reaction was immediate. She was so stunned that it looked as though someone had pressed a pause button. Her eyes widened, and she slowly turned her head toward her friend with open disbelief.

"You wouldn't..." she whispered.

"Oh, I definitely would."

The smile on Ryouko's face only grew wider.

"There are so many wonderfully embarrassing memories in that collection. School festivals, club activities, study sessions..." She placed a hand against her cheek as if reminiscing. "I kept them all because they were precious memories. And you know me. I've always enjoyed sharing things with my friends."

A visible shudder ran through the blonde-haired scientist.

"Ryouko..."

"Many friends," the woman continued cheerfully. "Quite a large number of them, actually."

The threat was delivered so casually that it somehow made it worse. Immediately, whatever hesitation Tearju had been feeling vanished. Her posture stiffened, and the uncertainty in her expression was replaced by grim determination. She leaned forward across the table, completely focused now.

"Please do not do that."

"You know that won't work~."

A desperate attempt at negotiation followed. She pleaded, argued, and even tried appealing to their years of friendship, but every effort bounced harmlessly off Ryouko's amused expression. The older woman simply repeated that if she wanted those photographs to remain hidden, then she needed to stay in the game and see it through to the end.

By this point, the alcohol was doing her no favors. Slowly, Tearju narrowed her eyes. "Fine," she declared at last.

Then the king game continued, with the king already drawn, she had no other choice but to pick a random number from those that remained, and the woman ended up with the number five stick, which made her curse silently, given that her best plan now was to make everyone else lose.

"Alright... let me think," said Emiya, mulling his order over.

It would be a lie to say she was not nervous. While it was unlikely for him to give an embarrassing order, there was a possibility for him to ask an embarrassing question.

"Okay, I have an idea. How about... let's see, number five has to wear... that, no, most of you are already wearing it. Hah, lose one article of clothing, how about that?"

"Damn it, I got number four." Risa voiced out with frustration, even though she was wearing the same thing as her... and the other girls released a sigh of relief, only for Tearju to go pale upon realizing that it was her number that was being called, as she held the stick with number five on it.

"Hah?" But... she already barely wore anything! The Santa outfit did not cover much and was just a single piece that covered the essentials of her modesty.

"You can always quit, you know," he taunted her. Though his words sounded genuine, the tone of his voice sure did not attempt to hide the smugness within. He fully expected her to back out... when she had other options to pick from.

"Fine." Without another word, she removed her stockings, to the surprise of many around the table. It left her with only the one-piece Santa outfit that hugged her body tightly, but she was still in the game. "Here," she said, tossing him the stockings.

Then the game continued with other people, fortunately getting the king and making rather normal requests, but it kept annoying her that she never got it! Then Ryouko got the king.

"Hmm, I can't say I have any great ideas, so how about number three, giving number two a lap pillow?"

Number three turned out to be Tearju, and number two was none other than Emiya, leaving Tearju blushing furiously as Emiya lay his head on her bare thigh while she did her best to stay composed. Emiya's gaze drifted up to meet hers, which she tried to avoid, saying that it was embarrassing and he shouldn't look. Then he said that she was quite competitive, more so than he expected.

She tried to say she wasn't, but this was a topic she'd rather not explain.

With the game continuing, somehow the people around them started to give orders that were more and more embarrassing, with her ending up giving Emiya a back rub, sitting on his knees, or even having him lean back against her with her chest acting as a pillow. She was doing this for several other people as well, including Rito, who immediately fell unconscious the moment she gave him a hug with his face touching her chest, while Risa, on the other hand, enjoyed it. But it pushed Tearju more and more to her limit, to the point that even her face had become full-on crimson, and she started to feel dizzy.

Then the king stick was once again pulled by Emiya, and this time the lucky draw made her realize that he was about to give her a difficult order, but then he said that number three should do a pull-up. Which made Tearju exclaim, "How come he figures out every time what my number is!? This is not fair, I haven't gotten to be the king once yet!"

Emiya just shrugged and said that she was just unlucky. Then he said that she just had to do a single pull-up. If she could, then he would willingly back away, but if she couldn't, then she loses. Saying so with such a big smirk on his face that even without Ryouko's little blackmail, she was genuinely hoping to teach the young man a lesson for underestimating her.

Tearju told herself that she could do a single pull-up, that she was quite athletic in fact. Then she went around the house and found a doorway pull-up bar that Emiya had installed. She grabbed the bar and took a deep breath, feeling her head grow a little dizzy because of the alcohol, but she was determined to show the boy that she would not back away or lose a simple challenge!

Then she did a pull-up, with Risa and the other girls cheering for her. At some point, though, the sound of something ripping was heard, and the entire room went quiet. Tearju looked down to see that the Santa costume around her chest had ripped apart, fully exposing her breasts.

They were big; two huge, creamy globes standing proud on her chest, flawless and smooth, each tipped with a bright pink nipple. In the cool air, those nipples were stiff, jutting out and drawing every bit of attention. Several people couldn't tear their eyes away even, some being envious as well. Her hands still gripping the bar overhead left her chest completely exposed, and for a second, everything else faded out. He just stared, stunned speechless at the sight of her.

Tearju fell on the ground and screamed, "Noooooo!" Before running away upstairs, unable to face anyone ever again.

(Victim №2: Tearju Lunatique)

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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Taimanin with 3, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.